2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk debuts in New YorkThe 2014 Cherokee will lead Jeep into the future, according to the brand’s CEO.
Mike Manley, who introduced the mid-size sport utility vehicle Tuesday at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, said the design team went for a unique design to not only turn heads, but lead the segment in a new direction.

NEW YORK- The 2014 Cherokee will lead Jeep into the future, according to the brand’s CEO.

Mike Manley, who introduced the mid-size sport utility vehicle Tuesday at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, said the design team went for a unique design to not only turn heads, but lead the segment in a new direction.

“We wanted to push the envelope because it’s needed in this segment,” he said following the introduction. “Our share (of the mid-size SUV segment has only been) 3 percent. That’s not good enough.”

The mid-size SUV segment is the largest SUV segment in North America, with roughly 2 million sales in 2012.

Manley, Jeep president and CEO, repeatedly called the new vehicle “the most capable mid-size SUV in the world.”

When it arrives in dealerships in the third quarter of this year, the Cherokee will be available in four different models, ranging from the luxury Limited edition to the Trailhawk, which is designed for off-roading enthusiasts.

To show the vehicle’s wide-range of capabilities, Chrysler Group LLC had a Trailhawk off-road edition scale some fake rocks, followed by a Limited luxury model driving onto the stage.

Depending on the model, the vehicle, which replaces the Liberty, offers best-in-class V6 towing capability of 4,500 pounds, three 4x4 systems for best-in-class capability in all weather conditions and fuel economy up to 31 miles per gallon.

The untraditionally high mpg for Cherokee is a result of “a number of efforts by Jeep engineers” that include a segment-first nine-speed automatic transmission and Chrysler’s 16-valve, 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir 2 I-4 engine, which comes standard in the Cherokee.

“Gas mileage is critical to every single vehicle we launch,” Manley said.

The Cherokee, according to Chrysler, has fuel economy improvements of more than 45 percent versus the outgoing Liberty model.